in fact, we're sort of catch-22 here. many of our republican colleagues say the money is spent out too slowly, and then they want to put more levels of red tape, bureaucracy, slowdown. and what if the contract is challenged in court? while businesses lay fallow, while homes are not built, while shorelines are unprotected and naked. so there is a time. i've generally been a supporter of competitive bidding. but as the scriptures say, there's a time and a place for everything. and when you're dealing with many aspects of an emergency, that shouldn't be. my colleague on the other side, for whom i have great respect -- he's a true gentleman, he does what he believes and he says what he believes and he votes against interests that might affect his own state when he does it -- but he has not made any exceptions. and that makes no sense. this will hurt people and hurt them badly, and in many instances will end up costing us more, will end up costing us more. and most -- many competitively bid contracts -- we've all been through